4/5/2009

While the global financial crisis isn't a formal item on the agenda, it lends a sense of urgency to such a meeting. As Prime Minister Patrick Manning put it in a statement to the House of Representatives in January, the negative effects of the economic downturn make it incumbent on the countries to find solutions together. "In today's interdependent world," he said, "we need strengthened partnerships more than ever."

The Prime Minister explained that the Fifth Summit of the Americas-as well as the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, scheduled to take place in November of this year-offer the chance "to move Trinidad and Tobago to the centre stage of hemispheric and global multilateralism that could also lead to a strategic advantage for our own development and progress."   

The April 17-19 meeting will mark the first time the democratically elected presidents and prime ministers from the entire Western Hemisphere have convened in nearly three and a half years-and the first time ever they have met in the Caribbean. The Summit of the Americas is the only regional forum of its kind that includes the United States and Canada.

Coming this soon into the new U.S. administration, the Fifth Summit will give U.S. President Barack Obama the chance to get acquainted with the region and exchange ideas and perspectives with his fellow leaders. "The prospects for a new engagement with Latin America and the Caribbean must not be downplayed," Manning said.

Meanwhile, Obama said during an official visit to Canada in February that he looked forward to a "meaningful dialogue" in Port of Spain. "My administration is fully committed to active and sustained engagement to advance the common security and prosperity of our hemisphere," he said during a joint press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He added: "We will work closely with Canada in advancing these goals and look forward to a meaningful dialogue in Trinidad."

For his part, the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Jose Miguel Insulza, told a newspaper recently that he didn't expect the new U.S. administration to launch grand policies at the Fifth Summit, particularly given the pressing problems in other parts of the world. Latin America and the Caribbean do want to see measures to help ease the economic crisis, Insulza said, but they are especially looking to Obama for "a demonstration of goodwill and a different climate, one that is predisposed to dialogue." 

15 Years of Cooperation

The roots of the Port of Spain meeting reach back to 1994, when the United States hosted the First Summit of the Americas in Miami, Florida. "For the first time in history, the Americas are a community of democratic societies," the leaders of the 34 active OAS member countries stated. 

"Although faced with differing development challenges," they said in their Declaration of Principles, "the Americas are united in pursuing prosperity through open markets, hemispheric integration, and sustainable development. We are determined to consolidate and advance closer bonds of cooperation and to transform our aspirations into concrete realities."

The heads of state and government have continued to meet periodically over the years to reaffirm their cooperation and reassess their priorities. Two years after Miami, the leaders gathered in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, to focus specifically on sustainable development. The Second Summit of the Americas took place in Santiago, Chile in April 1998, followed by the Third Summit three years later in Quebec City, Canada; the Special Summit of the Americas, held in January 2004 in Monterrey, Mexico; and the Fourth Summit, which took place in November 2005 in Mar del Plata, Argentina.

When the region's leaders convene in Port of Spain, they will confront a new set of realities and find new ways to strengthen their partnership and cooperation. Many of the players have changed since the last Summit of the Americas; in fact, more than half of the countries have elected new leaders since Mar del Plata.

Representatives of the 34 countries have been meeting regularly since last September to negotiate the Declaration of Commitment of Port of Spain, which will be adopted by the presidents and prime ministers at the close of the three-day meeting. Negotiations have been held through the Summit Implementation Review Group (SIRG), chaired by Ambassador Luis Alberto Rodríguez, National Coordinator for the Fifth Summit and Special Envoy to the Americas.

The draft document contains six main sections, the first three on the broad thematic issues of advancing prosperity, strengthening energy security and promoting sound environmental policies. Other parts of the document include measures related to improving public security; promoting good governance and human rights; and making the Summit process itself more effective.

At the OAS General Assembly last June, Minister of Foreign Affairs Paula Gopee-Scoon talked about the importance of adopting concrete proposals that will benefit citizens. "For every commitment we draft and negotiate," she said, "the pertinent questions must be 'What real, tangible benefit will this measure bring?'" 

Promoting Inclusion

Of course, not all visitors to Trinidad and Tobago will be presidents, prime ministers or other high-level government officials; the Summit of the Americas process is structured to consider ideas and proposals from civil society organisations and the private sector as well. In the days leading up to the main event, representatives of these groups will meet to debate the issues and offer their own perspectives on the challenges facing the region.

Public demonstrations are also planned. David Abdulah, who heads Trinidad and Tobago's Federation of Independent Trade Unions and NGOs, has been helping to organise an alternative People's Summit, through an international umbrella organisation called the Hemispheric Social Alliance. Even though the Declaration of Commitment of Port of Spain has commendable points, he said, he believes it's important to ensure that other voices are heard, not just those of national leaders.

Such participation underscores the strength of democratic institutions in Trinidad and Tobago and indeed the entire English-speaking Caribbean, according to Ambassador Rodriguez. "That openness is very much part of our society," he said.

Port of Spain promises to be a dynamic place in mid-April. Some 5,000 visitors in all” including representatives of the private sector, civil society and the media-are expected to attend Summit-related events. Many of them will stay in two "floating hotels," massive cruise ships that will be docked alongside the International Waterfront Centre.

Despite the extensive security on land, air and sea required for such an event, Minister of National Security Martin Joseph stressed the importance that residents have a positive experience and that the heads of state and government get a taste of the country they are visiting. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime event," he said in a recent interview. "We have to make sure that all participants and all citizens benefit."